


The Things We Do: For Work

by Riplae, Sy (Sycophantism)



Series: The Things We Do [2]
Category: The Things We Do
Genre: Aliens, Cover Art, Original Fiction, Science Fiction, Space Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-10 20:05:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12919293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riplae/pseuds/Riplae, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sycophantism/pseuds/Sy
Summary: Finding a buyer for the haunted ring is surprisingly easy. Getting to him, however, is proving to be another story entirely.





	The Things We Do: For Work

**Author's Note:**

> TTWD is a roleplay-turned-story made by myself and @Riplae, following the hijinks of Cipher and Blackburn as they adventure across the universe. There’ll be badass space pirates, creepy mad scientists, and adorable alien friends. What more could you ask for?
> 
> With this installment, we meet the other two major players of the story: Chessur and Madens! 
> 
> Once again, this Arc is being released in its entirety to allow for a smoother reading experience. Enjoy!
> 
> And finally, make sure to follow our blog on [Tumblr](https://thethingswedorp.tumblr.com/) for extra content such as character bios, Q&A's, and art! We'll also be posting a comic soon to celebrate 100 followers! :D

"How long until we can leave?"

Cipher had scaled up a new crate, one he ensured was between himself and the newly-discovered maintenance hatch. Cipher gave his surroundings a cursory check as Blackburn complained, finally letting himself relax. “Another day or so.” Like it had just occurred to him, Cipher hastily looked toward his wounded arm, gingerly pressing at the entry hole. "Shit, you really did heal me. Can you do that whenever?" Hell, maybe keeping the ghost ring around would be better than hocking it.

Blackburn took note that Cipher didn't hastily rip the ring off his finger as soon as he got the chance. "Only when you summon me," he replied nonchalantly, the sound of fatigue creeping into his tone.

"Cool," Cipher mused, brushing the pads of his fingers over the scar. Then, noticing the other's tone, Cipher lifted his head. "Didn't think ghosts could get tired," he teased, thinking back to when he'd first managed to take the ring off. Blackburn had seemed drained then, too.

"I didn't either at first," Blackburn complained as he materialized nearby, stretched out along his back, ankles crossed with his arms folded behind his head and hat tipped to cover his face.

Cipher watched the ghost’s recline, observing for a while before asking, "How long you been dead?" Pulling his bag around and fishing around inside, he pulled a snack out for himself and took a bite.

Silence set in for a short while between Cipher's bites before the ghost finally spoke up again, "I don't know, a century or two?"

Whistling under his breath, Cipher nodded. "What gotcha?" From the looks of him, Blackburn had been some sort of criminal. Look, no one virtuous wore that kind of getup. So there was a bit of a kindred spirit in him, in Cipher's opinion. Honour among thieves, if you will.

Blackburn glanced up from underneath his hat, eye narrowing and flickering across the details in something irrelevant nearby as he tried to collect his thoughts and suspicions. "I can't remember... But I have a theory I was shot in the head with a canon."

"Shit. Helluva way to go." He wondered what made Blackburn think that, but decided to save it for another time. Stretching himself out, limbs feeling heavy from fighting with himself, he shoved his bag against his stomach and curled up around it with a yawn. "Well, let's both get some shuteye."

Replying with a content hum, the pirate nuzzled back into the comforting warmth and darkness of his hat, boot rocking softly in a kind of lulling gesture.

* * *

Cipher could get comfortable just about anywhere, more cat than human when it came to sleeping positions. Dozing off came easily, especially after the stress of the last hour, and he stayed that way for well into the night.

The sounds of bustling activity roused him. Sitting up, he squinted down at the crew moving around, which meant it was probably like 5am. He groaned despite having probably gotten at least nine hours of sleep. Oh well. Stretching and yawning, back arching, he dug into his bag for another snack, chowing down on the bar as he inspected the ring.

Even stained with blood, it still shimmered against his pale finger. Its relic text glowed ever so faintly in the dim morning light of the thief's surroundings.

Pursing his lips with a hum, he twisted it idly on his finger, studying the writing. Nothing he recognized. Maybe he'd get in touch with that historian he met a while back. (And by "met" he meant "robbed,” but semantics.)

The heavy thump of a hatch opening had him raising his head. Wouldn't be long now before they reached port. Gathering up his stuff, he stood, ready to dip out before anyone would want to bother giving chase.

"Are we _finally leaving?_ It feels like we've been here a decade already..." The groggy ghost griped from inside his ring.

Cipher gave a quick look around for the ghost, then peered at the ring itself. "Yeah, soon. Jeez, for being dead a couple centuries, you have no patience." Creeping along the wall of the hull, he eavesdropped on a few crewmen working, eyes fixed on the middle distance before the voices began to draw nearer. Ducking away, he tucked himself between some crates. "Just an hour now."

Blackburn groaned. Hours felt like days when you're dead and there's nothing to do but sit and watch dust settle. Sleeping wasn't an option, either. Resting any of his supernatural mumbo jumbo to regather some energy was the closest he'd ever get to shut eye. In the time Cipher had laid sleeping for those handful of hours the pirate wondered what the little thief was dreaming about. Riches? Lovers? A peaceful life with a family, a home to call his own and financial stability? He didn't seem like the type. "Do you think we'll get the chance to kill someone else? I'm _bored_." He whined.

Squinting his eyes slowly at the pirate, Cipher stared in perturbed disbelief. "Uhh. Hopefully not? Shit, you really were a pirate, weren't you?" He didn't even have to ask anymore. "Here. Take my hand," he said, waving the arm with the ring on it as he reached into his bag with the other.

Said hand was graced with that usual ghostly glow as Blackburn accepted the thief's offer. "What're you digging in your bag for?"

Cipher felt his hand flex on its own. Grimacing but telling himself to get used to it, he said unhelpfully, "Somethin'," absent-minded as he dug deeper. "Aha!" Pulling out a little square-sliding device, he handed it to his... other hand... and pointed at the numbers adorning each section. "It's a puzzle. Slide each piece around until the numbers are in the right order. Like this." The ghost leaned over Cipher's shoulder to get a look closer at the toy, blinking dumbly at it. There were 14 individual sliding sections, with one empty space, and Cipher flicked the one down, then the eight to its previous place, managing to get 7-8-9 in order. "See?"

Blackburn cocked his head to the side as he puppeted his companions fingers to work the puzzle. Did Cipher _really_ think he could just soothe Blackburn's boredom and pacify his bloodlust with a simple trinket such as this?

Well, he thought right. Blackburn had shut up for the most part, cooing occasionally at the plaything as he fiddled with the sliding squares.

Honestly, Cipher was trying to be nice, but not having a ghost whine about murder was a perk.

Before long the door opened and, spying the pier within reach, Cipher waited for the crewmen to enter and busy themselves with crates before darting past. A series of shouts trailed after him, but he was already across the dock and making his way through the crowd, trotting toward the nearest travel station.

Blackburn floated at Cipher's side, stretched out in a typical 'draw me like one of your french girls' pose as if he had some invisible ghost couch to lounge atop. "Where to next?" he finally asked once getting a series of numbers on the puzzle in order, phasing through any bystanders Cipher slipped past.

"Map," was the reply, making his way through a mall-like building and then out through the other side. "Gotta remember what system that occultist market is in. Oh--" Stopping, he glanced at Blackburn, remembering. "Wait." That's right, he'd said he'd find some rich power-hungry person to buy the ring instead. With the market as his original destination, he'd forgotten to revise the travel plan. "Right."

Cupping his chin thoughtfully, Cipher furrowed his brows, walking through the crowd with new aimlessness. "Hmm..."

Blackburn pouted, now apathetic to the puzzle he had solved several times over at that point. With Cipher now sidetracked, the pirate took the opportunity to steer the thief's fingers and wrist, tossing the puzzle at a random passerby.

"Hey!"

Cipher, distracted, didn't even realize the shout was for him until someone was shoving his shoulder. Stumbling in surprise, looking up, he blinked at the alien glaring him down.

"Don't give me that innocent look. What the hell was that for?"

"I-- sorry, what?" Glancing at Blackburn, he frowned, then down at his hand. "Oh. Oh, shit."

The stranger gave him a weird look, before drawing their lips back in anger. "Apologize, pipsqueak."

"Uh, yeah, man, you got it. Sorry. Seriously. I didn't mean to--"

"Didn't mean to? You pegged me right in the face."

"... Lucky shot?" he tried. Wrong answer. The stranger only looked more pissed off. "Unlucky, I mean! Of course. Unlucky." With each word he snuck backward, folding both hands behind his back and squeezing shut the one he was sharing with Blackburn, resentfully. "What'd you say if I told you a ghost is possessing my hand and it actually wasn't me?" The anger in the stranger's eyes wavered with disgust and surprise, before they growled and took a step forward. "Fuck, yep, thought so!" Backpedaling, Cipher bolted into the crowd, barely escaping the talons reaching for him. Diving into a side shop and sprinting up the stairs, he wove through back rooms and shop fronts until he was a few blocks away. He didn't even think he'd been pursued, but better safe than sorry.

"Hey, Blackburn? You wanna fuck off?" he chided, shooting a glare toward the ghost.

Blackburn was looking back in the direction of the lost pursuer before he turned his gaze to his coss host, disappointment apparent on his face. "Aw, now why'd you _lose him_? The fellow could have been carrying a few valuables that would be a good addition to your stash." The ghost waved a lazy finger to Cipher's bag, where the thief's loot reside.

Glowering, Cipher made a broad gesture with his arm, hissing, "Because I pick pockets! It's about stealth! I can't steal from someone if they know I'm there."

"Sure you can. Just draw them away from the crowd, knock them out cold and empty their pockets, simple!" Blackburn argued, gesturing towards the direction they came from. "You benefit more that way, too!"

"Okay, Mr. Pirate, when I'm safely on my way to whatever high-end jewellery store I'll be hocking you at, I'll write you a list of what's wrong with that strategy!" Throwing his hands in the air, Cipher once again began his way to the main mapping area, plopping himself in a chair and picking up one of the public tablets to start his search.

Huffing, thrusting his boots to settle against the mapping area’s tiled floor, Blackburn pressed his palms to the back of Cipher's chair and loomed over him, eye flickering across the tablet's screen.

Cipher flicked through it expertly, clearly used to doing this on the regular. Finding a discreet place to sell a haunted ring was easy, but finding one that'd serve Blackburn's purpose and Cipher's wallet was a bit of a higher order. So Cipher started looking at other venues, foregoing the haunted part. "What's the writing on this thing anyway?" he asked. It was probably supernatural in nature, helpful for his original line of thought but less so for the new one. "And what's it made of?"

"The writing is Dualm, which is the language of my species, and the ring is..." He paused, glancing to the band on Cipher's finger, hoping maybe something on it would jog his memory. "Uuuhmn..." Blackburn gawked, scratching his scalp from underneath his hat. "Shit. I-- I can't remember the name... It's a kind of metal my home was known for..." The pirate bit his finger anxiously, "I... think," he added, obviously troubled at his lack of memory. He could have _sworn_ he remembered that...

"Alright, let's see." It took some doing, but the tablet eventually gave him a name. "You a… vodrylk?" he asked, tilting the screen so Blackburn could see the race outlined. "Doesn't say anything about a metal, but maybe that just means it's even rarer. Could find some kinda historian or collector who'd be interested."

Blackburn nodded, leaning his head on his hand. "Are there any historians _here_ or are we going to have to hitch a ride again?"

Cipher shook his head. "This place is, uh, liminal. It's where you get connecting flights and stuff, nothing really here but food and sleep and a bit of shopping." Pursing his lips, Cipher continued to tap away at the tablet, before finally pulling up a forum and typing out a description of the ring. Taking a quick snapshot of it on his finger, he uploaded it and posted. "Rare items appraisal," he explained as he worked. "Gonna see if anyone knows anything about this planet's metals."

Blackburn chuckled as he spotted the picture posted up on the site, slightly distorted due to obvious reasons. As their time at the station passed, Blackburn eventually found himself slumped across Cipher's chair, counting each soft tap of little thief's fingers against the tablet's screen.

Cipher worked diligently, falling into silence as his focus became absorbed. He paused, then reached for his bag to find Blackburn another puzzle to play with, figuring he didn’t need both hands and the other toy-- wait a second. "Hey!" he hissed, shooting a look at the ghost. The ghost blinked, straightening up. "You threw that puzzle! Shit, that was an antique, you ass!" It was gonna fetch him a pretty penny, too, once he found the right buyer. Fuck.

Cipher’s jolt had briefly had him thinking that the thief had uncovered some useful information but, upon realizing this was not the case, Blackburn broke into bellowing laughter. "I love how you're _just now_ registering this," he managed to snicker, mirth dwindling after sometime.

"I was a _little preoccupied_ with the PO'd alien bitching at me," Cipher snapped back, slumping into a pout. A quiet chime from the tablet had him freeing one hand for the express purpose of flicking to a new window, only to sit up again. "Oh, a hit." Someone on the forum. A few interested parties that didn't know what it was, but someone had messaged him privately about the ring. The name was unfamiliar to Cipher, but he turned it to Blackburn. "Is that what the metal is called?"

Blackburn hummed curiously and shot a glance towards the tablet turned to him. Once his eye caught the name shown, he winced, the memory carried with it striking him like a blade. His form shuddered. "Yes... That's right... Who sent that message?"

"A collector," he said, pulling up the bio. "Or rather, an appraiser on behalf of a collector. Says he's been looking for some of this for a long time." Sounded like big money. Cipher's eyes glittered. So it was meeting his standards; now for Blackburn's. "Lessee..." Replying to the message, he asked for the collector's name, interested in selling.

Blackburn studied the screen as Cipher replied, reading the new message popping up in the tablets notification feed. "Omri Saulius?"

Humming in the affirmative, Cipher did a quick search for the man. Whistling appreciatively at the sight of the collector's online presence, he turned the screen a bit for Blackburn. "Not much publicity, but he's a pretty famous collector... seems like he's the best in a few fields? 'Never satisfied with second best,' sounds like a power-hungry kinda guy," he said as he read off an article written by the man.

"Indeed..." the pirate murmured as his eye grazed over the articles lining the page. Satisfied with the results, a sly grin found its way onto Blackburn's lips. "I do believe we found our man." He purred, "How shall we go about meeting him?"

"No problem," Cipher assured the ghost, typing out a message. "Got an invite already. Just gonna have to find a way to--" He squinted down at the previous block of text, muttering to himself. "Tcheshische. What a fuckin' name." A quick map search told him it was not a convenient place and he groaned. "Fuck, I've never even been to the-- what is this-- the... Hivi-- Hivfischere system. What kinda dyslexic joker got to name these places?"

Several paces behind the pair, a passerby stopped, grasping his companion’s sleeve. "Hold on," he said, glancing toward the shady-looking kid on the tablet. Difficult-to-reach places were the best pay-offs in their experience; no one else was gonna get you there as efficiently as a pair of guides.

She stopped mid-step, looking up at him. "What’s up, Mads?" She followed her friend's gaze. "He insult your brother or something?? Don't worry my dude-- I'll give him the ol'one-two!" The small purple haired girl began to roll up her sleeves and puff out her chest.

"What? No." Madens frowned at her. "Your goddamn imagination, Chess. No. He wants to go to the Hivfschere system."

Chessur blinked, then deflated. "OooOOooohh! Should we uuuhh..." She nudged her pal, beaming up at him. "Go talk business?"

Madens nodded, though he was having second thoughts as the kid seemed to be... arguing with air.

Muttering to himself, Cipher squinted at the suggested routes. "These all recommend public transpo and cabs," he complained. "I can't afford that shit."

"If you hadn't been such a pain in my ass earlier, we wouldn't have to worry about this. We'd have our _ooown_ damned ship! But god noOOooo!" Blackburn complained aloud, waving his hands about. "I just _had_ to threaten a little thief's comfort of traveling _unnoticed_ and _unpursued!_ " 

"Oh can it," Cipher griped back, scowling down at the tablet as he worked. "We woulda been shot outta the stars before we were halfway there."

Blackburn folded his arms and rolled his eye.

Too dense to notice or just not finding it all that weird, Chessur approached Cipher, the thought that maybe the guy had an echo eye installed floating around in her mind. Then again, by the looks of his shabby clothing she began to doubt that he could afford it. At that point it was too late, they were already there. "Howdy!" she chirped.

Blackburn looked over, raising a brow at the little girl.

It was moreso Blackburn's reaction than the greeting that drew Cipher's attention to the girl. No one really initiated conversation with a guy like him. "Hey," he said easily enough. "Sup?"

Madens, lingering behind Chessur, glanced at the kid's lap: bag, tablet, not much else.

The girl rocked on her heels eagerly, "We heard that you're having troubles finding a cheap-- er-- _affordable_ ride to another solar system! Those public transports and cabs really do charge up the ass for that kinda thing, huh?" She folded her arms and leaned on one leg, flashing Cipher a friendly smile.

Blackburn pursed his lips, giving Cipher an uncertain glance.

Cipher furrowed his brows at the girl. Eavesdropping-- rude much? But, glancing at the grouchy-looking alien behind her, then back to the girl, something seemed to click in his mind. "You guides?" he asked, brightening a bit. He didn't often travel with them, but it was just the solution to his issue. Plus if the cash was right, he could make back what he paid them easily. Win-win.

Chessur snapped her fingers and pointed at Cipher with a wink, "Yessir! Y'think you're in need of some escorting, Mrr...?"

Cipher grinned at the girl, only to have it waver as Blackburn began to protest:

"She looks like she's 11, Cipher." Blackburn frowned once he saw his companion light up. "You _really_ trust an 11-year-old and her weird... partner to lead you-- _us_ , across a galaxy?"

It was a valid complaint, buuut... "Cipher," he said, offering his hand and ignoring the ghost. "Just Cipher." He'd been perfectly capable at eleven.

Madens watched on with clear suspicion, but didn't speak.

Chessur met Cipher's hand with a firm shake, "Nice to meet you Cipher! I'm Chessur," she gestured to her colleague, "And this is Madens!"

Blackburn snarled and swiped his claws at the two's shaking hands, "Don't you ignore me!" Cipher twitched, barely managing not to flinch.

Chessur shivered, "Brrr! Damn my dude, you got some cold hands!" She laughed softly as she retracted her own.

He'd expected blood to spring up between their clasped hands. It took everything he had not to shoot a glare at Blackburn. "Yeah, about that," he said, withdrawing his hand and rubbing at the one with the ring on it, just in case the ghost tried to possess it. "I'm gonna be straight with you guys, uh. I've got a ghost? Following me? Well, following this," he clarified, lifting the ring-bearing hand. "I'm actually on the way to sell it, hence the long trip. I know it sounds loony but that's what the cold was. He's kinda pissy that I'm making a deal with-- no offense-- a kid."

Madens was staring at him like he was loony, body language more hostile now, ready to yank Chessur away at so much as a wrong twitch on Cipher's part.

"Whoa whoa-- Mads, chill, it's okay." Chessur patted her friend's stomach, being it was all she could reach, before looking back to Cipher. Frowning marginally at being held back, but relenting, Madens continued to stare silently at the stranger-- Cipher-- before glancing at the ring.

Chessur watched the ring glisten under the light, spotting the odd glow accompanying it. A ghost... explained a few things, actually. "A ghost, uhh... Okay... Huh. Well, assure him, whoever he is, that I'm not a _kid_ , for one..."

"I'm 21... Going on 22 here soon." Chess nodded firmly, looking more than used to the claim of being a child. "I know I'm young but I'm more than capable, and so is Mads. We know how to do our job."

Blackburn narrowed his eye to glare at the girl, needle teeth protruding past his lips. "Bullshit," Blackburn hissed. "My _shins_ bigger than her."

"Huh. Little thing, aren'tcha?" Cipher mused, before scowling and finally glaring at Blackburn. "Shut up. I'm not gonna talk to someone they can't see or hear." He felt crazy enough just thinking about it.

Blackburn's eye widened at the thought of Cipher ignoring him _the entire way there_. He shot the thief a crazed glare, "OOOoo you better _plan_ on it, boy," he snapped back. Cipher tried not to wince at the threatening tone.

"Yeah you could say it runs in my family," Chessur was saying, shrugging with a smile as she watched the guy glare into nothing, and yet... at something. Her eyes just couldn't pick up on it, whoever it was. "Anyway..." She puffed out her chest again, pressing a fist to it in a proud stance. "Whatever you're planning to do with that ring ain't our business, but we'd be more than happy to help you get to your destination!"

Cipher looked toward her again, fingers inching across his abdomen as he reached for the ring, pretending to be ignoring it and Blackburn both as he responded to Chessur. "Sounds good to me. How much to get me to the Hivfschere system?"

Madens stared as Cipher reached for the ring, completely fucking baffled by this weirdo. But hey, money was money, and they could handle a little lunacy. Or a little haunting. Whichever it turned out to be.

Chessur patted Madens tummy once more, "Yo Maddio, could ya do me a solid and calculate how much it'd be for our services--"

In a panic Blackburn clenched Cipher's ringed hand, switching to the thief's other side to snarl. "You better not even _think_ of taking my ring off your puny little finger to silence me!"

Cipher did flinch this time, hand shooting over too late to try and pry it off. "Son of a bitch," he hissed, shooting a glare at Blackburn. "Quit being a pain in the ass and I wouldn't have to!" he snarled back.

Chessur stared the glow of Cipher's hand as it was possessed, turning her head to watch the clawed glove materialize over the guy's palm. "Whoa..." she murmured, eyes sparkling. "That's fucking _cool_."

Madens watched the claws manifest, yanking Chessur back by the shoulder before realizing it wasn't a threat. Her reaction was sadly predictable, and entirely unprepared for an attack. He sighed and ran a hand down his face.

Cipher, too preoccupied with glowering at Blackburn, barely registered the compliment.

Blackburn returned the expression, lip curling at Cipher's comment. "You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not."

Chessur blinked hearing Madens’ sigh. "Oh-- I... probably should have reacted differently, huh?"

"Yeah," Madens muttered, even as he pulled out their own tablet and began checking the different possible routes to this distant system. It'd be a pain in the ass for anyone without connections, but they had their acquaintances to make it easy.

She rubbed her arm, embarrassed due to the fact that if Cipher _wasn't_ telling the truth about that ring and was actually looking to do harm, she'd probably have lost an eye or something just then. But upon realizing that this _didn't_ happen, she shook off the shame and was proud to trust her judgement in character. "Hold on, is that the ghosts hand?" She pointed.

Resentment bubbled anew in Cipher as he found his hand trapped again, scowling deeply. Then, spiteful, he turned away from Blackburn with a sniff. "Yeah, that's his hand," Cipher said, waving the arm idly. "But forget it."

"Here's the price range," Madens said, ignoring the hubbub about the ghost and turning the screen toward Cipher. Depending on how much it was gonna cost to bribe their way onto some ships, the price varied a bit. Cipher glanced over, reading the screen with surprise before nodding hurriedly.

"Yeah! That's fine. Hell-- how much would it cost to get me to the planet-- fuck, what was it..." He grabbed the tablet, flicking it open one-handed, completely pretending he didn't need the other. "Tscheshische."

Madens peered at the screen as he tapped it a few times, checking.

Blackburn took notice of Cipher's attitude, floating upright to tap his available claws rhythmically against the back of the young man's chair. He took a deep breath, the fear of not being heard or seen by a single soul receding enough to let the pirate relax, both himself and Cipher's hand. Having the thief loathe him was counterproductive, after all. "... Don't take off my ring..." he murmured, hiding a 'please' behind a soft cough. "I'll be quiet... For now."

Chessur watched the hand closely, its light reflecting off her bright blue eyes. "If we can see his hand _there_ , why can't we see _him?_ " She cupped her chin and narrowed her eyes as she sunk deeper into her thoughts. "Weird..."

Cipher still didn't look happy with Blackburn, not looking at him, but his posture relaxed a bit as he glanced at Chessur. "Dunno. I'm still new to the whole thing. Probably some sort of possession rule or whatever."

Blackburn came to the conclusion that Cipher's silent treatment was fair punishment for his outburst. Childish, maybe, but he had no room to argue. The thief would warm up to him with time, and if not, well... The pirate had a few tricks up his incorporeal sleeve.

"It's not much extra," Madens said, heedless of their conversation as he showed Cipher the revised price.

"Yeah, that's fine," Cipher said with a nod, setting the tablet aside and standing. "I'll be in your hands, then." Swinging his bag around and grabbing a card, he waved it.

Madens pulled up a different screen, holding it out. "Half of the lower price to start," he said, and Cipher nodded as he tapped the card, typed in his passcode, and transferred the funds. "Alright. Chess, you go hit up the zoo charter, see if they'll have us. I'll take this guy and ask the traders." It was no secret he didn't want to leave Chessur alone with this guy and his “ghost.”

Cipher was less of a fan of Madens, but he understood. Didn't mean he had to like it.

"You got it!" Chessur saluted, swiftly turning on her heel. "Play nice Mads!" she added whilst starting on her way, arms swinging happily at her sides.

Blackburn floated beside Cipher, quietly analyzing their new escort. He phased a hand through Madens chest, curious to see if he could get a reaction like he did with the girl.

Chessur was the charismatic one, so he didn't have to return the warning. Simply nodding, he glanced to make sure Cipher wasn't going to protest, then started through the crowd.

Cipher would get over Madens’ attitude shortly enough, if the navigator was going to keep to himself so much. And he would.

But first he'd be angry, sucking in a sharp breath of air and recoiling from the sudden cold in his core. Whipping around on Cipher, he didn't hesitate to grab the kid's collar, making the thief yelp in surprise. "Wh--"

"Was that your ghost?" Madens' voice was a low growl, eye narrowed.

"Yeah," Cipher said after a beat, grabbing the hand holding him on his toes. "Man, he's harmless like this--" Cipher didn't know that, and Madens didn't seem to care.

"Tell him to keep his dead fuckin' shit to himself." Madens dropped him and stalked off, leaving Cipher bewildered before glancing at Blackburn-- and quickly glaring again.

"Yknow," he said, "You're starting to seem like more trouble than you're worth, Blackie."

Cipher's glower met a... less than happy 'Blackie'. The ghost, fuming with whatever supernatural energy he was made up of, had his trembling claws edging near Madens’ neck. They twitched, yearning to be solid, itching to dig into whatever flesh their associate was made up of. If it were not for Cipher's comment to snap Blackburn from his livid state, who knows, with such intense, concentrated anger, maybe the ghost could have inflicted some real damage.

"I don't like him." Blackburn hissed, shoving his balled fists down to his sides, glare as cold as death burning into Madens’ back as the alien stomped off ahead.

Cipher arched an unimpressed brow at the furious ghost, waiting for him to refocus. "Yeah, I think the feeling's mutual," Cipher said pointedly, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he sidled along behind their escort.

Blackburn kept a close eye on said escort while being pulled along, thoughts stirring around in his head. Wondering... Could he possibly do _more_ than just affect the temperature? He'll certainly have to test the theory later...

In time, Chessur returned to Madens’ side with the same bounce in her step from before. "So! Any luck?" she asked her friend, leaning against Mads to further look over Cipher and his ring, half expecting to catch a glimpse of whomever was haunting it.

"A few traders with packed boats and steep prices," Madens said when she returned. "How about the zoo people?"

Cipher rocked back and forth on his heels, ignoring Blackburn for the most part.

"Well, they're offering a niiice cheap price but we'd have to share a room with one of their larger uuhmn... 'passengers.," Chessur replied with a shrug. "On the bright side, we'd get to pick which!"

Blackburn recoiled at the thought of lounging in a filthy cage with a large and possibly dangerous beast occupying it.

"Perfect." Madens couldn't give less of a fuck; their job was saving money, not riding in comfort.

Cipher was fascinated, totally ready to give it a shot. "I wanna ride with a Cherubrus," he whispered.

"Dude-- _Yes._ " Chessur barely whispered back to Cipher.

Blackburn ran a hand down his face, grumbling before vanishing completely.

Madens squinted at both of them before saying, "No," to Chessur and steering her back the way she'd come. "Let's go, ghost boy."

Cipher, too giddy at the prospect of rooming with a Cherubrus, hurried along despite the nickname.

Chessur whined aloud on their way there. "AaaAWW Maddy come on they're _sooo_ freaking cute why nooot??"

"Chess, they're one of the most dangerous predators in the known universe," Madens said flatly. "The zoo probably doesn't have a good enough permit to be transporting them."

Chess sighed dramatically, slumping into Mads side as they walked. "That's dumb..." In a blink, she lit up again. "Do you think they have Xenomorphs??"

Mads stared at her. "... Those aren't real."

Cipher was snickering into his hand.

The girl threw her hands up in the air, "Aw COME ON you'd think a universe with _space pirates_ and shit would at LEAST have Xenomorphs." Chess folded her arms and shook her head with a furrowed brow. "You're really killing my aesthetic here, Universe."

"Stop talking," Madens said as he shoved a hand against her face. Cipher thought it was rude as fuck but Chessur would know he was being playful... probably.

Chessur giggled, trapping Madens’ forearm in a hug. "Never, I will not be silenced on this matter, I demand justice!"

"Then go to a different dimension," Madens suggested, lifting his arm until Chessur was dangling a good few feet off the ground, considering their considerable height difference. "Preferably one where I don't exist."

Kicking her feet like some kid on the jungle bars, Chessur gasped. "No way!" Pulling her legs up to wrap around Madens arm she hung upside down. "I guess Xenomorphs are a fair price to pay to keep you around, Maddy. I wouldn't have it any other way!"

Shaking his head, Madens muttered, "I'm honoured," tone deadpan. The ship came into view and he glanced at Chessur, nodding toward it so she could go get her contact.

Chessur landed straight on her face in an attempt to flip off her friends arm like some gymnast that she thought she might have spontaneously become. Recovering quickly, the girl hopped back onto her feet and used her shirt to wipe her face, running towards the ship as if it were leaving without her.

"Quite the character, that girl..." Blackburn's voice echoed from Cipher's ring.

"You can say that again," Cipher responded absently. The glare Madens shot him made him jump, remembering he was replying to something Madens couldn't hear. "Uh. Just-- she's... interesting."

Madens grunted, looking away to watch Chess.

Words were exchanged, a few laughs were had, and the money was handed over. The crewman who agreed to the deal ruffled Chessur's hair, checking over his cut of the cash before tucking it in his coat and waving Madens and Cipher over. Madens led the way, Cipher once again taking up role of follower. It was a huge ship, and they could hear animal noises from the crates and cages being loaded up.

Chess met up with them, hair popping back to its previous state with a soft shake of her head. "The guy said he can't sneak any pillows or blankets in for us, which I thought sucked." She huffed, tucking her hands in her pockets.

"We've fared with worse," Madens shrugged.

"I'm fine with my bag," Cipher assured her.

"Yeah but it would've been cool to make a pillow fort like last time..." Chessur pouted.

"... that's a lot of pillows and blankets," Cipher commented.

"You'll survive," Madens said, planting a hand on her head and turning her around. "Cmon, let's go."

As Chess was spun around she followed, folding her arms behind her back as her eyes scanned the hull brimming with animal cages.

Cipher hurried to keep up, staring at the animals as they passed. Wowww.

"So, which one do you guys wanna stay with?" Chess asked, running her hand along the bars of a cage they happened to be passing. The animal inside swiped and hissed at her in reply, and she jumped away. Madens' hand was on her immediately, helping pull her away with a curse. "Grumpy-gills." She stuck her tongue out.

"I'm choosing," he snapped, pushing her forward. "Come on."

Cipher hurried to follow, watching the creatures they passed. Before long they reached a section divider, and on the other side found herbivores-- or whatever constituted an herbivore on alien planets. "Here," Madens said, patting a cage. "Beiyos. They use a tongue to inject venom into their prey, liquidize the innards, and suck it out like a straw. But their prey's bodies have exoskeletons, and the flesh is significantly weaker than human flesh, so it's harmless to either of you. They're vicious predators, until you prove you aren't prey; then they're notorious symbiotes. They cuddle."

Cipher stared. Description-wise, it sounded like a spider. Appearance-wise, it looked like a giant black panther with otter-like thick fur, stalk eyes, furry tentacles in place of legs, and spines arching along its back with webbing in between. “Cool."

Every word from Madens mouth seemed to pass through one of Chessur’s ears and out the other, up until she heard, 'They cuddle.' " _HEELLll_ yes!" She bounced in place with a radiant smile, hands balled up in excited fists. "Dibs on the one in the corner! Their name is Sam now!!"

Madens hunched over the panel, blocking it from view. A moment later he stepped back and swung it open for Chessur. Cipher blinked, leaning around to try and see if the man had any lock-picking tools. Madens glared at him. Taking the hint, Cipher scampered in after Chessur. Blackburn pieced himself together at Cipher's side, looking the things over.

Chessur ran over to the Beiyo laying in the corner, skidding to a stop she fell onto her ass beside it. "They're cute!" She grinned, reaching a hand out to pet the animal.

The Beiyo's tentacles lashed, seizing Chessur and immediately going to immobilize her. Cipher jolted in alarm, shooting a look at Madens, who seemed... completely unconcerned. A long, whipcord-like thing slithered out of a hole on its face, stabbing at Chessur-- and bouncing off. A few more harmless attempts as it chirred in confusion. Then, finally, it slurped its tongue back in, loosening its grip on her with a coo and drawing her closer to rub its face against her.

Chessur looked like she was on the verge of breaking into joyful tears, gently wrapping her arms around the creature who, after deciding she was neither threat nor prey, pulled her in for affection. "This is _all I've ever wanted_ ," she whispered, wibbling and burying her face in the Beiyo's pelt. Following it, though muffled, was, "Fucking awesome.”

Blackburn kneeled in front of one of the Beiyos, waving his hand before its face. People are always going on about animals having a heightened sense to spirits, so he was curious to know if it were true.

Cipher made a hissing noise, swatting at Blackburn's general direction, until a second Beiyou snared him and he was dragged across the cage, with a squawk, to undergo his initiation.

Madens closed the door on them, going into the cage across from them and settling in with a reptilian-looking creature.

Twitching all at once, the Beiyou lifted its head, a second tongue flicking from beneath the first, snake-like, tasting the air Blackburn was occupying then reaching with its tentacles in confusion, exploring the air with touch and eyes.

"Interesting," Blackburn murmured, studying the animal’s undulating appendages attempting to grasp his hand before looking towards Cipher.

Cipher was currently being mauled by every tentacle the Beiyo had to spare, and by that I mean being cuddled and squeezed. He looked distinctly unamused by it, arms draped over the uppermost tendril as he pouted, entirely immobilized.

Blackburn tried to hide the grin that snuck its way onto his lips behind his claws but to no avail, his laugh following soon after.

"Isn't it great?" Chess spoke up, catching eye of Cipher's... predicament.

Cipher pouted all the more at Blackburn's laughter, then perked up at Chessur's question and sighed, sliding deeper into the embrace. "Not really a fan of--" He flailed his arms idly to indicate his state of entrapment, before rubbing his cheek against the fur. "But, fuck, these things are soft."

"Riiight?" Chessur pulled her knees up to her chest, melting into the warmth and comfort of the Beiyo's side.

Blackburn reached out to the creature's pelt to see if Cipher's statement were true, but his hand just ended up phasing right into the things side. Yeah, he should have expected that.

Cipher didn't lift his head until the Beiyo murrped, cracking an eye open and noticing Blackburn. After a moment, he raised his ringed hand, waving it idly as invitation to possess it and feel.

Settling beside Cipher and his new cuddle buddy, Blackburn gladly took up the thief’s invitation. Running the hand now under his control through the Bieyo’s smooth coat, he smiled, leaning his head back against the cage bars. It was a nice reminder that he wasn't... completely gone. "Thank you," he muttered.

Closing his eyes once more, feeling the slow movement of his hand, Cipher only peeked out when Blackburn spoke. It sounded sincere, and after a moment he nestled back into his little trap. "You're welcome," he responded quietly, a yawn cracking his jaw before he added, "You spooky bastard."

Blackburn chuckled, his form gradually fading as he retired back to his ring, leaving Cipher’s hand with nothing but a faint chill.

Giving it a shake then sliding it through the fur to warm it, Cipher settled in for a comfy nap.

He woke within hours, roused by the sound of conversation. Lifting his head and blinking blearily, he saw Blackburn sitting with Chessur, whom was mumbling questions to the pirate and getting her answers based on the feeling of a cold hand against her arm.Cipher laid his cheek against the living nest he was wrapped up in, curious.

"Oh oh, hold on I just got an idea, we could _totally_ play patty cake--"

Blackburn swiped his claws through Chessur's head.

The girl shivered as the icy sensation passed through her, "Ack! Okay, fine, geez!"

The instant Blackburn was rude, Cipher furrowed his brows. "Be nice," he grumbled from across the cage, words trailing off into a yawn.

Blackburn, heeding Ciphers order, folded his arms and began to pout.

Chess blinked and turned her attention to Cipher. "So! Reuben Blackburn is the nasty pirate haunting your ring? That's pretty cool!"

Blinking, Cipher sat up a bit more. "Reuben?" he echoed, trying not to laugh. "What, you've heard of him?"

Blackburn shot Cipher a glare.

"Yeah! My Gramps used to tell me stories about good ol' Reuby!" Chess nodded. Blackburn wanted to die. Again.

"Well, well." Grinning enough that his eyes were scrunching, Cipher propped a chin on his arms. "Regale me with these takes of good ol' Reuby, Chessur."

Blackburn recoiled, dragging his claws down his face with a groan. He didn't think, when giving Chess his last name, she'd _know_ his first. Cipher laughed at the reaction

"Oh man I don't know, the last time I heard them was when I was like... five?"

She took a moment, trying to piece together the jumbled memories of her Grandfather’s stories.

Cipher waited patiently. This was gonna be fuckin' good. He was so ready for this.

Chessur finally hopped onto her feet, using her bag to prop her leg up in a more powerful stance. "Reuben Blackburn, one of the most fierce, feared pirates of his time! My Great Great Grandma used to be a part of his old crew, being his Quartermaster. She got to fight by his side and see all the action! From space battles to grand heists and shit!" The girl waved her hands wildly.

Blackburn peaked through his fingers. Quartermaster? That’s right... What was her name... He sighed.

Cipher looked surprised at the relation, glancing at Blackburn and furrowing his brow at the pirate's apparent discontent. "Huh. No wonder he's a bellicose prick." Used to getting what he wants.

Blackburn was more than used to such insults, and it's not like the thief was _wrong_ , so he simply raised his shoulders to Ciphers comment with a knowing grin. Cipher twisted his lips into a wry grin at Blackburn's silent concession.

"Yeah, pretty much." Chess nodded, pressing her hands to her hips.

Stretching his arms and legs out, Cipher blew out a long breath of air. "So what's your grumpy partner's deal?" Might as well ask.

Chess flopped back down beside Blackburn, "I dunno! I never minded his attitude much... But his bro introduced me to him a little while back and we decided to start working together." She tucked her hands in her lap.

What kind of brother would someone like Madens have? Probably another douche. Cipher decided not to bring it up, lolling his head against the Beiyo and reaching a hand up to pet its head. "How long till we land?"

"There's a delay," Madens said from the next cage over, making Cipher jump. Had he been able to hear the whole time?! "So another day at least."

Stifling a laugh at Cipher’s start, Chessur nodded and made an attempt to pick off some of the shed Bieyo fur that clung to her clothes. "I was thinking about exploring the rest of the hold to pass the time."

"That sounds good," Cipher agreed.

"Did our contact give us permission?" Madens asked, looking over from his cave with a pointed squint at Chessur. No breaking the rules, Chess.

She folded her arms and pursed her lips, drawing shapes in the floor with her shoe. "No... I never asked..." she murmured before arguing, "But-- What's he gunna do, get mad cause we're _walking around?_ We're not gunna touch anything!"

Madens sighed, waving a hand. "Just stay out of sight," he said, focused on the tablet in his hand.

Cipher wiggled in the Beiyo's grasp, patting at its face until it loosened its grip enough for him to slip away.

"Yay, permission!" Chessur exclaimed, hopping up to push open their cage door.

"Watch the Beiyos," Madens scolded as Cipher darted out past her.

"Adventure time," he cheered quietly, waiting for Chessur to lead the way.

"I know, I know!" Chess assured Madens, promptly closing the cage door behind her and Cipher before marching ahead. "And awaaay we go!"

Whether Blackburn wanted to join them or not, the ring forced him to be pulled along for the ride. Though, he had looked more interested in staying and picking on Madens, so perhaps it was for the best.

Trailing along with her, inspecting the animals through the cages, Cipher let out an appreciative whistle. "Must be a helluva zoo," he remarked, laying a hand on a nosing muzzle to give it a scratch. The animal made a pleased, if bone-rattling, sound. "You travel like this often?"

"Yeah. I used to have my own little ship before I took up the job buuut..." Chess sighed, brushing her bangs back with a frown. "My girlfriend crashed it." She shoved her hands in her pockets and kicked at the floorboards.

"Ouch. Tough break." Another animal nearby chirped curiously at the strangers, peeking its head out through the bars in attempt to sniff at them. Perking up at the sounds, Cipher pat the large muzzle once, smiling through the bars. "Hey there buddy."

"I knooow..." Chessur groaned.

The animal clicked its tongue happily at Ciphers arrival, squeezing its snout past the bars with a whimper.

"Aww." Cipher cooed at it, laying both hands on its massive snout and rubbing its face. "Aren't you just a little attention whore?"

It purred in reply, extending its thick, fleecy tongue to wrap around Ciphers forearm. Cipher made a face at the tongue, reflexively put off by such a huge muscle coiling around his arm, and stuck his tongue out.

"Whooa, that tongue is sick," Chess remarked, leaning against the bars of the things cage.

Interested to know what sensations the tongue held, Blackburn borrowed Ciphers hand. The animal flinched at the ghostly hands appearance, tongue withdrawing as it sniffed at it hesitantly.

It surprised Cipher to have his hand suddenly possessed and he glanced at Blackburn inquisitively. Blackburns expression was graced with a smile and a gentle gaze as the animal nudged the ghost’s palm with its muzzle, its tongue poking at the hand’s now-clawed digits.

It was in that brief glance that the tip of the creature’s tongue unfolded and enveloped Cipher's haunted hand in wet prickling warmth. In a blink of an eye, the pirate vanished.

Chessur blinked, "Uuhh.. Holy _shit._ " She gawked.

It had honestly been kind of nice to see Blackburn so chilled out. Until he vanished, and Cipher wondered what had run him off before realizing Blackburn hadn't _left_. Eyes widening, Cipher whipped around to face the animal, grabbing its tongue. "Wait wait wait!" he yelped, fighting to grab its muzzle and pry its mouth open. "Nonono don't eat that!"

The animal squealed, between Cipher's panic and the pain of his grip around its tongue. It cried out and tried to yank away from the thief’s grasp. The occupied cages nearby shook as it's residents reacted to the cry for help, yowling and snarling.

Chessur frantically waved her hands at Cipher as she looked around at all the flustered creatures. "Stop-- Stop!"

"It ate the ring!" Fuck! No!! He needed that!

But still he released the animal as the sound escalated, looking around him with an edge of anxiety as he backed away. "Oh shit."

Chessur backed away with him, holding her breath, half-expecting the cage doors around them to burst open. When they didn't, and the animal roars and cries ebbed away, she finally took a breath and looked at the creature who had slurped up Cipher's ring. "What the fuck are we gunna do..." she murmured.

The colour had drained from Cipher's face as he stared at the creature-- or, more accurately, its gut. "... Blackburn's gonna fucking kill me," he wheezed, slapping a hand to his forehead. "Fuck." He already had a solution, of course. Wait for the damn animal to-- well...

Chess deflated, pushing her bangs back from her eyes. "Oh man..."

The creature had retreated back to the corner of its cage, furthest from Cipher.

Cipher gripped at his hair, hissing through his teeth. "Oh god. Dude I'm so sorry."

He knew Blackburn could still hear him-- or rather, he thought so. Could Blackburn hear what the ring heard, or could he manifest outside of the animal's digestive tract? Oh god.

The animal coddled its muzzle in the coils of its tongue, whimpering as it curled atop its bed of hay.

"I don't even wanna begin to imagine what Reuby might be seeing... or hearing... Eeugh." Chessur shuddered, clamping her eyes shut.

"Nooooooo," Cipher whined, slowly lowering himself first to his knees, then to the ground, laying on the side and staring at the wall.

"Aw come on man, it wasn't your fault..." Chessur kneeled down to give Cipher’s arm a reassuring pat. "I'm sure Reubs will understand!"

"I can never put the ring back on," he said, covering his face.

It was then the animal began to gag and choke, but... it didn't seem like the result of its own reflexes.The distressed noises had Cipher peeking between two fingers, staring at the animal before swinging himself into an upright position. "Oh shit, I think Blackie's doing something."

Abruptly, the animal’s head was yanked back. Its skin stretched awkwardly and its muscles strained against an unseen force that ripped the ring back out from its throat. The creature fell against the floor, wheezing and struggling to breathe after the ring was yanked from its insides.

Fuming, the ring floated back over to the two on the other side of the bars.

Chessur's eyes followed the ring as it returned.

Cipher nearly gagged at the sight, grabbing his own neck in sympathy. The sight of the right floating over to him, though, was honestly a terrifying one. "Uh..." Unsure, he reached out and grasped it, though made no move to put it on yet. "...." He glanced helplessly at Chessur. _I don't wanna._

Chessur raised her shoulders with an equally anxious grin, "I mean... you don't have to put it on _now_... Maybe... give him some time to cool off...?" She suggested hesitantly, poking her fingers together.

"Maybe," he mumbled.

The icy touch of Blackburn’s hands fell against Ciphers shoulders, ring flaring brighter in the thief’s palm. The frigid feeling made a violent shiver race down his spine, going rigid, before nearly dropping the ring in his hand. "Fuck--" Voice wavering, Cipher grimaced, shooting another look at Chessur. "He doesn't like that idea."

"W-Well yeah, I mean, I never said he _would_..." Tense, Chessur chuckled. "He can't force the thing on your finger, though... Or at least I don't think he can." She added, rubbing her arm. "My point is, what's the worst thing he's gunna do, yell at ya?"

Without the ring on, Blackburn couldn't even do that. Yet the chill, crawling up Cipher's neck, was the unmistakable sensation of claws wrapping around the thief's throat.

The sensation was not doing anything good for his nerves, right up until he swallowed and felt his throat working against the thin pinprick of claws. "I..." He didn't know if Blackburn could do much more than that, but Cipher wasn't keen on finding out the hard way. Bracing himself, he opened his hand around the ring and took a deep breath, slipping it on.

The ring’s flames dwindled once given its rightful place around Ciphers finger, but the thief was plucked up by his shirt immediately after and slammed against the nearest wall of bars.

It had crossed his mind as he watched the vibrancy dim that maybe Blackburn just didn't want to be invisible and unheard, rather than furious about the whole _being eaten_ thing. The thought was dashed as his back hit the barred wall of a cage, breath rushing from his lungs as he kicked out instinctively. Chessur jumped, scrambling away in fear of being caught up in the punishment.

"C'mon," Cipher managed to force out, already trying to worm his way out of the situation, "It was an accident--"

The pirate’s hands curled tighter into Cipher's shirt, its fabric tearing against the death grip of his claws. Cipher's hand shot up to the grip on his shirt, mouth opening to protest the treatment of his clothes. He didn't get the chance to speak. Form seething and struggling to stay in one piece, Blackburn pulled the thief close enough to feel his breath and see the glint of his teeth bared in a scowl. "That-- That was-- _disgusting_ ," he hissed.

"Whoa..." Chess murmured, watching as Blackburn's blazing form bled into her reality.

Finally letting his kicking cease, legs dangling, Cipher grimaced in yet more sympathy. "Can't even imagine," he mumbled, awkwardly patting Blackburn's hand. "Really though, 'm sorry, I'll be more careful." Then, because we just can’t have good things, he added, "Though technically you were in control of the hand when it happened..."

Cipher's apology and assurance, although awkward, might have calmed Blackburn down enough to give the little thief the pleasure of being returned, calmly, to solid ground again. But alas, Cipher’s final comment had _Good Ol' Reuby_ roaring and shaking the shit out of him.

All it took was a hug to shut Blackburn up and drop Cipher out of shock, "I can see you!" the culprit cheered.

Cipher squawked at being shaken, kicking again until Chessur was suddenly there. "Wh--" Landing deftly on his feet, Cipher stared at the girl in surprise. "-- She's touching you!"

Blackburn blinked, the energy wafting from his form soon fading. Because of this, Chessur phased through his leg, "Eh--?!" And fell onto the floor. "--Ow."

Cipher reached out, late to catch her but able to help Chessur to her feet. "The hell was that?" he asked, staring up at Blackburn in surprise.

"I... I don't know..." Blackburn murmured, fading as he retreated to the ring to rest.

Cipher startled at Blackburn's rapid deterioration, staring even after he was gone. The whole ordeal must have taken a lot of energy. Possession did that too-- there was a lot to learn here, though he was surprised Blackburn didn't already know most of it.

"I hugged him, I heard him-- I _saw_ him! He was there, that was _cool!_ " Chessur was rambling, grabbing Cipher's arm and giving it a soft shake.

"Wh--" Chessur's enthusiasm caught him off guard and he almost rocked off balance, barely managing to stay on his feet. "Oh. Yeah."

"I wonder if Madens can see him if he tried hard enough?" Chessur pondered aloud, "I mean, if we can both hear and see Reuby, it'd make you look less like a weirdo when you're talking to him--" She looked past Cipher, to the creature from earlier, motionless and sprawled out on the floor of it's cage. "...Shiiit..."

"What?" Glancing back, Cipher startled, wide-eyed. "What the fuck?" He rattled the cage bars lightly. "Hey. Hey, wake up." Oh shit.

Chess held her head, the color draining from her face. "Nooo nononooo!" She whined, hopping in place from one foot to another. "We're fucked. It died from shock or, suffocation or some shit!"

Sadly, Cipher's prevailing thought was, _I'm not paying for that_. Tugging as his hair, he worried at his lip. "Just don't tell 'em," he said. "Say we never left the cage."

"You never should have," Madens growled, grabbing both of their necks from behind. Cipher squeaked; Chessur yelped. "And you're not going to again." He began dragging them back down the hall.

Immediately Chess fell limp in Madens’ grip, sniffling and whimpering. "W-We didn't know that'd happen..." she protested, guilt twisting her gut uncomfortably. The creature, it didn't know any better, she felt so bad...

"No one ever knows when they're going to accidentally kill something," Madens deadpanned, dropping them both at the door of their cage. "In. Now."

Chessur complied, retiring back to her chosen corner and flopping down beside her Beiyo named Sam. Chessur curled up into a tight ball, pulling her coat around her to substitute a security blanket.

Cipher had barely gotten halfway across to it before the Beiyo grabbed him and dragged him closer, once again entangling him. "Alright, alright," he mumbled, patting it before sighing. Glancing at the ring, he contemplated Blackburn.

The ghost didn't bother giving his two cents; conjuring his voice in such a drained state was too much work. The ring didn't care to glow, either, as if Blackburn's presence had been snuffed out by the whole ordeal.

After a moment Cipher ran the pad of his thumb over the band of the ring, resting his cheek on the Beiyo's appendage. "You must get pretty tired," he mused, thinking back to when the ghost had vanished after first manifesting, then again when Cipher fought back for control over his body.

The ring gave a brief flicker in reply. But, now that Cipher mention it... Blackburn began to realize how much stronger he had grown since the thief stole his ring. A few days ago, merely projecting his form was tiresome. Now he could deal some damage, but only for so long... He wondered why.

Eventually glancing away, Cipher dug into his bag and began fussing with some of his merch, contemplating what he could sell along the way. It took a good little while, eating up some time. Time until the hatch opened and someone came down to feed the animals. Uh oh.

Chessur sat up quickly, pulling her legs up to her chest, anxiously awaiting their discovery and what might follow soon after.

With a grunt Madens rose to his feet, leaving the cage and heading down the hall. There was low chatter, what almost sounded like an argument, and then the noise of retreating footsteps. After that, the sound of animals eating began, getting louder as more animals got their food.

Madens passed the cages, tossing food into the cages. The Beiyos scrambled over, abandoning their human-shaped cuddle toys to eat their dinner. "Paid off the feeder," Madens said as he fed the creature he had been shacking with across the hall. "Whose fault was the dead animal?"

There was a wince on Cipher's behalf. Yeah. He was gonna be paying for that. "... Blackburn," he ventured cautiously. Madens gave him an unamused look.

"Then we're adding it to your fees."

Whining but not arguing, Cipher sighed.

"Sorry Madens..." Chessur apologized sheepishly, watching the Beiyos and other animals nearby flock to their meals.

Her partner shrugged, feeding the next animals down. "We probably won't be welcome by this company again if they think we were the cause," Madens said, not looking up. "So that just means you have to wait longer for your new ship." No skin off his back. (Literally. He didn’t have skin.)

"Yeah..." Chessur mumbled, nuzzling into her knees. It's not like this was the first time the funds for her ship were delayed, so she was okay with it. Her girlfriend sure as hell won't be, though...

Madens continued down the way. Cipher watched for a while, before looking at Chessur again. "Saving up to replace your old ship?" he asked, conversational. Most guides of her profession had that same goal in mind.

She nodded, glancing up at Cipher. "It'd be nice to go home every once and awhile, without having to depend on some branch of contracts to get me there after a long journey guiding, y'know?"

"Mm." Cipher nodded, though he... couldn't really relate. He didn't have a place to go back to, always on the move. Still, the thought was almost nice. Whenever he did have a base that he called home, even knowing it was temporary, it was reassuring.

Chess uncoiled, leaning back on her hands. "I wanna visit my Dads, see my friends, and I'd love to give Madens a ride to go see his bro."

The more she spoke the more difficult it was for Cipher to relate. So he just nodded, leaning back against the cage as he watched the Beiyos eat.

Chess took note, crossing her legs and following Cipher's gaze. She wanted to ask if he had any friends or family of his own, but figuring she'd probably just make him uncomfortable, she decided against it.

It wasn't discomfort per say, but he didn't volunteer any information either. Instead, sprawling out, he waited for a while, staring at the ceiling. Madens eventually returned, and the Beiyos went back to their cuddlers, Cipher's flopping on top of him and driving the wind from his lungs.

Chessur laughed, up until she was ambushed by her own Beiyo. Arm dramatically outstretched from underneath the depths of fur, she cried out a muffled, but jesting plea for help, "I'm too young to diiiee...!"

"No you're not," Madens called, as Cipher wheezed out a breathless laugh.

Chessur popped her head out, sticking her tongue out at Madens. "Shuddup ya jerk."

Madens snorted, waving her off before sliding back against his cage bars. "We land early tomorrow. Get some sleep."

"Okay _Daaaad!_ " Chessur groaned, sinking back into the Beiyos embrace.

Madens rolled his eyes. Cipher, grateful for the excuse to conk out, hunkered down with his Beiyo and yawned.

Seconds after Chessur closed her eyes, she was out cold. Apparently exploring and ghost sightings did a number on her. Cipher always took a bit longer to drift off properly, dozing for a while first, subconsciously wary of falling into proper sleep lest someone be waiting for him to drop off-- but inevitably he slipped deeper into a proper rest. Madens glanced over eventually to make sure they were both asleep before settling down himself, eyes slipping shut.

* * *

When morning rolled around hours later, Chessur was the first-- or rather, the only-- one eager to shake Cipher awake, his bag in hand with her own slung over her shoulder. "Yo! Time to wake up! We finally landed."

Jerking awake, grabbing her arm, he stared up at her in alarm, until it abated. "Shit, don't do that," he huffed, running a hand through his hair.

Chessur jumped. "Shit-- Sorry. I'll be sure to poke you with a ten-foot pole next time..."

Pushing himself out from under the Beiyo, he gave it a pat as he gathered his things. “Five feet should do it,” he responded, lips quirking.

"We're leaving through the back," Madens called, beckoning them both to follow him.

She smiled, turning on her heel to trail behind Madens as he led the way toward their exit. "How'd you guys sleep?" she asked, pulling on the other strap of her bag.

"Fine," Madens said, less hostile than the word was usually used for.

"Damn good," Cipher replied, rubbing his neck. "Except for the thing rolling on top of me a few times." Then, remembering, he glanced at his hand and gave the ring a tap. "Wakey wakey, Blackie."

Blackburn grumbled something under his breath, possessing Cipher's hand briefly to yank it down to the thief's side. "Piss off," he growled.

Chessur lit up upon hearing this. "Oh, sweet, I can still hear him! Madens, can you?" Madens was already glancing over at the unfamiliar voice, eyes narrowing then rolling at the realization of who it was. "Sweet!" Chessur chirped, looking back at Cipher and his grouchy ring.

Cipher, meanwhile, was busy being surprised by the reaction. "Hey, what's your problem?" he scowled, giving his hand a rough shake to try and take it back from Blackburn if the pirate was going to be such a jerk.The hand didn't put up much of a fight, surrendering as soon as Cipher put in the smallest amount of effort to take control again.

Their contact waved them down the back gangplank, not bothering to bid them farewell as he headed back in. Chessur’s brows pinched with concern at Cipher’s one-sided conversation. "...He must not be much of a morning person, huh?"

Cipher was frowning at the ease with which he had regained control of his hand. "Yeah," he mumbled, suspecting otherwise. Then, not subtly at all, he continued, "Hey, I need to go check something on a tablet." Glancing at Chessur and Madens, he said, "Business stuff. I'll catch up, alright?"

"Don't piss anyone off," Madens said, giving him an untrusting look but otherwise continuing off toward the trading hub-- their best bet in finding new transpo.

Chessur shot Cipher a thumbs up. "Got it!" Quickly, she scampered back behind Madens after nearly losing him in the crowd.

Cipher waved goodbye, before glancing around and heading toward a public access diner. At the last second he passed it, venturing into an alley and tucking himself behind a dumpster. "Okay Blackburn, spill. What's up with you?"

Color Blackburn surprised. "...Did you _really_ just give our escorts some lame ass excuse to get us alone to talk?"

Cipher blinked, before frowning, crouching more comfortably. "Shut up. Answer the question."

Blackburn only replied with another question: "Why do you care?" He paused, before adding, "Don't have the patience to deal with my attitude?"

Caught off guard by both questions, Cipher didn't reply immediately. Then, scowling, he stood up. "Actually, I don't." He shoved both hands into his pockets and walked into the diner, apparently intent on ignoring the pirate.

Blackburn couldn't help but chuckle as the thief ordered his food. "... Tired is all," he finally admitted with a sigh, falling silent once more. Cipher didn't seem appeased, brows furrowing at the response but little else. Thanking the barista, he took his snack over to a corner booth-- indicative, perhaps, that he was willing to talk, but still peeved. Blackburn decided to appear across from Cipher, propping his head up on his hand with a smile.

Glancing up out of pure reflex before pointedly looking back down at his Space Danish™, Cipher scowled at the pirate's sudden appearance. That's what he got for being concerned about his grumpy-ass spooky bastard of a traveling companion; snark and incivility. Prick. The smile was annoying, partially because he wanted to chat with the pirate, but he was committed to being cross with him.

Cipher’s unwavering determination to be upset with Blackburn only worked the pirate’s smile up into a grin. The thief _cared_ , how rich. Reuben took off his hat and set it in the vacant seat beside him, humming and folding his hands neatly across the tabletop, fiddling his thumbs ever so innocently. It was the first time Blackburn had taken the hat off and it caught Cipher's attention, glancing through his peripheral vision before taking a bite of his danish. It felt childish but damn it he was annoyed. Then, what he had seen registered properly, and he jerked his face up to stare.

_'I have a theory I was shot in the head with a canon,'_ was what Blackburn had said those few nights ago. Well, his head definitely fit the part, what with a gaping hole taking up most of the upper right side of his face. It wasn't graphic, thankfully, the injury was but a blur, as if someone had punched a hole in a cloud.

Some of Cipher’s resentment dissipated at the sight of the wound. It was getting hard to hold this grudge. Huffing, he picked up his drink. "Why can Chess still hear you?" he asked, waiting to take a sip until he'd added, "Is that why you're so tired?"

"Partially." Blackburn leaned back into the spongy comfort of the booths seat, its cushion even compressing faintly under his presence. "Last night is still taking a toll on me, for the most part..."

"What'd you do anyway?" Cipher wondered, setting his cup down after taking his drink. "You killed that thing, you know." Then, frowning because he realized he had more cause to be cross with Blackburn, he said, "And they're making me pay for it."

"You're telling _me_ this? The ghost who haunts the ring you plan to sell to make a fortune? I could really care less." Cipher shrugged. Good point. Blackburn raised a brow before waving his hand. "I panicked, I didn't know if my ring would be safe after passing through that damned animal."

It was a valid concern, and Cipher nodded as he glanced at the ring. "Makes sense." Fiddling with the band, twisting it around his finger, he contemplated.

Blackburn watched Cipher fidget with his ring with an edging suspicion that the thief might take it off now that he'd gotten his answers. Taking a breath to calm his nerves, he spoke up, "What kind of ship do you think we'll hitch a ride on next?"

"Mm, no idea. Whatever offers to take us in the right direction for the cheapest, that's what their job is. I just follow along." Leaving the ring, he reached for his mug and took another drink. "I don't travel with these types often, but I figure I can afford to splurge a bit since I'm gonna be rich as hell soon." He grinned.

With a playful roll of his eye Blackburn chuckled, making futile attempts to move the utensils laid out on the booths tabletop. "What do you think you'll do first when your rich?"

"Go to a galaxy I've never been to, buy myself a place to live, and fucking chill." He'd thought on this extensively. "Probably get myself a new identity, too." Grinning, he laid back against his seat. "And then buy everything I ever wanted."

Blackburn expected such an answer. "Think of any good names yet for your new identity?"

Cipher shrugged, taking a bite out of his danish. "No clue. Maybe something disgustingly domestic." He snickered.

"That's fair." The hand flicking at the silverware paused momentarily as Blackburn drew in the energy around it. Landing a solid hit in his final attempt, he sent the fork flying and crashing into a framed picture hanging in the, fortunately, empty booth beside the two.

Cipher tensed, then hastily ensured it was fixed, shooting a glare at the pirate. "Can you not?!" he hissed, ducking his head.

Blackburn tried his hardest not to laugh, "Juust testing few things," he hummed.

"You couldn't do that when we were outside? In an abandoned alley?" Cursing under his breath, Cipher gathered up his order and stormed out of the diner in search of some secluded place.

The ghost ended up being dragged along side Cipher and his stomping. "Please, you hardly gave me the chance before you stormed out of the alley," the pirate argued, folding his arms.

"And I only did that because you were being a prick," Cipher shot back, settling in yet another alley behind some shops. "So it's still your own damn fault, you spooky bastard."

Blackburn took his place beside Cipher once the thief found a suitable spot. "Fine, fine." He scowled, waving off the subject at hand.

Rolling his eyes, Cipher picked up a discarded bottle, flipping it in the air a couple of times before tossing it toward Blackburn. "Catch."

Blackburn tried to catch it like any normal person would, but the bottle merely phased through his hand and shattered into pieces at his boots. Cursing under his breath he kicked at the shards, and they shifted somewhat.

Making a low noise in his throat, Cipher kicked a pebble over to the broken glass. "Seems like your-- how to..... degree of corporeality?-- let's go with that-- is tied to your emotions." Then, because he's an ass: "Good thing you're prone to tantrums." He grinned, then threw an abandoned shoe at the ghost to see if it would fare any better.

The shoe firmly met Blackburn's hand, a sullen pout etched into the pirate’s face. Winding back his arm he shot the projectile right back at Cipher in hopes to wipe that annoying grin off the thief's mug.

Blessedly, Cipher’s reflexes were as good as a thief's ought to be; he ducked in time as he laughed, straightening to glance back as the shoe bounced harmlessly off the wall. "My test worked," he pointed out in hopes of avoiding further retribution, grin firmly set as he turned to face the pirate. Blackburn had plenty of time to clasp his large hand around Ciphers head in that brief moment the smug thief averted his eyes from the ghost. "I don't know, I think we need to test it _further_. Lets see how far I can throw _you_." He snarled, lifting Cipher off the alleyway’s pavement with ease.

Having his entire head grabbed was startling enough, blinded by the palm in his face. He yelped as he was lifted off the ground, swinging from Blackburn's grasp as he shot both hands out to grab the pirate's wrist, legs kicking. "Fuck you! Put me down, you ungrateful bastard!"

Blackburn happily obliged, sated by Cipher's flailing and cursing. He rather have that then the attitude prior. The pirate even set his ring holder down nicely, ruffling Ciphers hair before the emotion gifting him such bodily luxuries faded away.

“Perhaps another time, then," Reuben purred.

Feet planted firmly back on the ground, Cipher swatted at Blackburn's ruffling, scowling as his arms went straight through the pirate's arms. "Prick," he snapped, glaring at Blackburn.

"I didn't throw you now did I? I _could_ have, but the force of my throw might have snapped your neck." Blackburn folded his arms, grinning down at Cipher as he leaned on one leg.

"You grabbed me by my head!" Cipher shouted, jabbing a finger up at the pirate. "You've been nothing but a pain in my ass, and you're rude as hell to boot. See if I try helping you again."

"Oh don't be like _that_ , I swear, you have no sense of humor!" Blackburn rolled his eye, pressing a hand to his hip.

"When the pirate who nearly snapped my fingers backwards threatens me?! Yeah, sorry, my funny bone's still a little fucking bruised!" Cipher glowered, before huffing and heading back toward the main street.

Blackburn narrowed his eye as the ring’s leash tugged him along. He began to consider that maybe he _was_ being a bit rash to Cipher. After all, the thief had been mostly friendly and of decent company since their deal. As much as he hated to admit it, he really had been nothing but a pain in the ass, hadn't he? The realization had the pirate trudging behind Cipher, groaning and grumbling to himself. He had to fix his attitude... For his best interest.

Cipher, still visibly fuming, wasn't going to be quite so quick to forgive this time. Especially not without an apology. Probably. Maybe.

Throwing himself into a chair and picking up the public-access tablet, he signed onto the forum again, checking his messages.

Blackburn stared at the back of Cipher's head as the thief immersed himself in the windows pulled up on his tablet. Tapping his fingers rhythmically against his arm as they were folded tightly across his chest, the pirate began to pace. An apology would be a good start to ease the tension, but god dammit he hated them, especially when he was obviously in the wrong. He decided to give Cipher some time to cool off for now.

It didn’t take too long. The appraiser, under Omri Saulius' employ, had promised to report back an estimate for the price, though the range they offer had Cipher's heart skipping a beat. It's big. It's a lot of money. He'd literally be set for life, even if he was an absolute moron with the money. Holy shit.

A glance at the tablet's screen was all Blackburn needed to make sense of Cipher's current expression. If he was going to apologize, now would be the best time for sure.

"Cipher..." the pirate began, sighing and kneeling to rather be at the thief's eye level than loom over him.

The sound of his name had his expression slipping a bit. He didn't want to deal with Blackburn right now. It'd been nothing but a pain all day. Still, he tilted the screen down a bit so he could peer over it, eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the pirate.

Blackburn took a deep breath, "You're... _right_. I've been..." He couldn't push himself to list the details, eye struggling to keep contact with Cipher’s own pair. "Less than kind to you. You've been... very... thoughtful. From going through the trouble of wearing my ring to... actually showing concern of my mood... I'm not used to that.” Cipher continued to stare, visibly suspicious, though his vexation appeared to relent a bit as Blackburn went on. It was sounding suspiciously like an apology... “Not that it excuses my temper, or my manners, and for that I apologize." Blackburn swallowed hard, fidgeting with the buttons on his jacket. "From now on, I'll _try_ not to be such a pain in the ass."

Cipher took a moment to let it sink in. Pursing his lips, he stared at the pirate for a while longer, letting him stew a bit. Then, sighing, he lowered the tablet onto his lap. "Yeah, yeah, apology accepted. Now stand up, before I decide you look better down there." It was gratifying to see someone usually so high-and-mighty on his knees, and Cipher didn't want to get used to it.

Blackburn pursed his lips at Cipher's light threat, tapping a claw against his knee before pushing himself back to his feet. Good, that's over with. He was eager to change the subject. "So, I saw that our collector’s offer is more than generous."

Cipher's face brightened considerably. "Hell yeah." He turned the screen up again, tilting it so Blackburn could see.

Blackburn studied the price range, nodding approvingly. "Excellent."

"Dude's loaded, if he's been looking for something like this for so long and hasn't found it, then I'm gonna gouge the _hell_ out of him." He'd be aiming for the upper end of that price range, excitement thrumming through his body.

"I wonder what his story is..." Blackburn leaned against Ciphers chair.

“Nonetheless, I hope he plans on _wearing_ my ring and not locking it away in some glass case."

"I'll get him to try it on at least once," Cipher assured him absently, not too worried about it. "C'mon, let's go find our guides." Signing off, he hopped out of his chair and headed toward the piers.

Blackburn caught up to Cipher's side. "Wearing it _once_ won't be enough," he objected, intent on sorting out the details.

"Well how many times d'you need him to wear it before you can do the body-soul stealing thing?" Cipher asked, looking up at him impatiently.

"Well, we could speed up the process if he _bled_ on the ring," Blackburn replied. "Though, when you summoned me before it was significantly difficult to keep you under wraps, considering the bond between our souls was so weak... That might be an issue..." The pirate cupped his chin in thought.

"I'm not gonna cut the guy 'till after I have my money, but I'm sure I can help," he said, keeping an eye out for Chessur and Madens. "How d'you know if a bond's gonna be strong then?"

"It just needs to be given time, so the link can develop. But for that to work he needs to keep the ring on."

“Huh. Well, we'll figure it out. Gotta meet the guy first before we decide on some strategy."

Blackburn looked away. "By the way... Once I'm handed over, and _our_ bond is severed... it might hurt."

Cipher stopped. It surprised him, somewhat, to realize that they had a bond-- they did, of course, he just hadn't thought about it-- but the mention of it hurting... "What? Why?"

"When you sacrificed your blood to summon me, our souls were tied to one another. Now that you've worn my ring for so long, the bond has only been strengthened. Cutting our ties might have some effect on you, my assumption being that it will hurt, but in all honesty I'm not sure." Blackburn tucked his hands in his jacket pockets. "In the past, people who carried my ring kept it on a necklace or bracelet, to avoid this predicament."

Cipher made a face, glancing at the ring. "Well hold on, I didn't _sacrifice_ any blood, I just... bled on it." Then, muttering to himself, he added, "Fuckin' supernatural fine print." The thought of having a bond with Blackburn was strange, but the thought of it hurting to sever was weirder. He wasn't looking forward to it.

Blackburn chuckled, spotting Chessur as she ducked her way under people's legs to maneuver through the crowd. Finally she was running over to the two, eyes bright. "There you guys are! I almost thought we lost yo--" It was then she reached out her hand to lean on Madens and realized his absence. She whipped around to scan for him. "Aw, shit."

"Well, you lost someone," Cipher pointed out, grinning idly at her.

Chessur huffed and folded her arms, turning back to the duo. "Let’s just wait for him here, he'll find us eventually..."

Shifting his weight from foot to foot, Cipher waited, before glancing at Chessur and deciding to pass the time. "So we think Blackburn's tangibility is tied to his emotions," he said, waving with his ring-adorned hand. "He was able to touch some stuff when he was in a pissy mood."

"Oh huh! I'm sure that'll come in handy!" Chessur smiled. "Honestly, I'm surprised that I didn't catch you guys bickering or something."

"Yes, well, we sorted some things out," Blackburn said plainly.

"He said he'd quit being such a prick," Cipher told her, all too cheerfully. Basically translating for Blackburn.

Chess laughed, "That's awesome! I'm glad you guys got shit worked out, and by you guys I mean Reuby. 'Cause you were being kind of an ass earlier," she admitted.

"Stop calling me that," Blackburn grumbled.

"He totally was," Cipher agreed, grinning.

Chess opened her mouth hassle Blackburn further, but he interrupted her.

“ _Anyway_ \-- Where's your damned partner?"

Chess blinked. "Oh, right! He-- ... I uuhh... don't know." She looked around. "... Maybe he got caught up with something."

Following her lead, Cipher stood on his toes, peering through the crowd. "Hmm."

"Let's go look for him!" Chessur decided, choosing some random direction to start on her way. "I _told_ him we should have bought those communicators..." She sighed.

"Didn't you just say we should wait for him here?" Cipher asked, hurrying after her.

"Yeah but now I'm all anxious he got caught up in something... Usually he finds me right away..." Chessur gently pushed her way past people.

It's difficult for Madens to be inconvenienced by much. He was moreso preoccupied with not revealing his nature as an amoeba: they were a rare race, and bad things tended to happen when people heard about one. So as easy as it would be to dodge around the thugs boxing him in, he didn't want to make a scene. Sigh.

It was Cipher who noticed the little crowd, stalling and standing on his toes to try and see past the ring of backs. The body language screamed of cornering someone, and it was a glimpse of Madens' goggles that had Cipher calling to Chessur, "Hold on."

"We've got a client already." Madens' voice was deadpan. These punks wouldn't even pay the fare.

"We gotta get off this planet," one of them explained, like it mattered. "Don't even care where we go. If you can't take us yourself then just hook us up with a contact."

"I don't make a habit of putting criminals in touch with my business partners," he said dryly.

Chessur stopped to listen when Cipher told her to wait. "Ah, shit--" She took a deep breath and dove into the crowd of legs, swimming through them until she finally stumbled out the other side. "Madens!"

The quartet of thugs glance down at the voice shouting behind them. Most people had the sense to stay away when they were conducting business like this. Madens sighed. "It's fine, Chess."

Cipher, hastening to keep up, caught her arm so she wouldn't fall, frowning at the sight of the group. They were bad news.

Blackburn looked more than delighted to see the whole thing unfold, his immediate thought being to kick the harassers to the curb. But for that to happen, he'd need Cipher to summon him. This realization promptly threw his hopes out the window and he sighed.

"No, it _isn't!_ Back off, assholes!" She growled, puffing out her chest in attempt to make her small self look as big as possible. The attempt was laughable, Blackburn thought.

"Chess--"

"This your partner?" Their eyes were on Chessur now. They didn't care if she was young; she had what they wanted.

With their eyes off of him, Madens was able to lash out, sending the four of them sailing into the crowd at different trajectories. Cipher gawped at the sight of his arms extending and moving like fluid, but Madens was quick to grab them both under his arms and haul them into the crowd.

Chessur squirmed in Madens grasp. "I don't wanna run, I wanna kick those guys' butts! Who do they think they are, dogging you like that??" She huffed.

"They're criminals," Madens said flatly, glancing at her. "And no, we aren't going to cause a public disturbance. We have a ship to catch."

"Well they're criminals who messed with the wrong people." Chessur pouted.

Madens merely rolled his eyes. Cipher glanced at Blackburn incredulously. The pirate met his glance with a raised brow before looking back ahead.

Chessur lit up. "Oh, right-- We found a contract with a really nice ship! This time we'll have our own room."

Peeking up, Cipher's eyes brightened at the mention. "Whaaat? That's _classy!_ " It had been a long, long time since Cipher had traveled in anything but hidden corners or crates. "What kinda nutty ship is letting a few cheapskates like us have a whole room to ourselves?"

"A cruise ship! The Captain was really nice, so he gave us a room for a cheap price. It isn't the _nicest_ room... Bottom floor with bunk beds, small... But it's better than nothing!" Chessur nodded.

"More than one bed? That's already better than I was expecting. Damn, you guys have good friends." Cipher is downright beaming at the thought of sleeping on a _bed_ again. Oh, god, maybe he'd actually get to shower.

"You're damn right we do!" Chessur boasted, slipping from Madens grip to hold the guys hand instead. "Do they have washers and dryers on cruise ships?"

Madens glanced at the hand, sighed, and took it as a sign to put Cipher back on his feet as well. "Yes," Madens said when Cipher looked clueless. Right. As if a thief has ever been on a cruise ship.

"Sweet! I got a bunch of clothes in my bag that seriously need washing." Chessur had a spring in her step as they strolled toward the vast hull of the cruise ship, watching aliens and humans alike carrying luggage and animals past them. Something prickled at the back of Blackburn’s neck as they entered the shadow of the ship.

Cipher stared at the crowd, awestruck. This was some fancy shit! He couldn't wait to see what kinda bathroom they had. He wondered if they were going to be allowed to eat with the guests. (He might sneak into the kitchen and steal some food either way...)

Chessur began to swing hers and Madens’ hands. "Ciph really needs a wash too, he gross." She nodded, matter-of-factly.

"Hey," Cipher protested, even as Madens made a sound of agreement.

Blackburn was... on edge. He didn't feel right. The ship's _energy_ didn't feel right. The sensation had his stomach in knots, and so he returned to the comfort of his ring for the time being.

Surprised, Cipher fished his hand out of his pocket to look at the ring, wondering if they could speak when the ghost wasn't manifesting. "You okay?" he murmured.

"I'm fine." There was a lull of silence, before he added hesitantly, “There's just… something off about this ship."


End file.
